Hueco Mundo: Faded Memories
by Elemental Hero Raeven
Summary: Spin-off to 'One Thousand Pieces' and 'Evolution Of Evil'. The arrancar Kenji rallied up had to have started off somewhere, had some reason for being them. To find out what made them tick, let's take a stroll down memory lane...
1. The King & The Deserters Of The Court

_Hello, and welcome to my spin-off fic, Hueco Mundo: Faded Memories. This will deal with Kenji's arrancar, and what they lived like up until they were enrolled into his plans. If you read far enough, it may also deal with a few forgotten arrancar, that appeared in a previous fic..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or any canon characters, and neither will anyone else. Except maybe Tite Kubo, y'know, since he made it and all..._

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**Memory One – The King & The Deserters Of The Court**

_Around 70 years ago_

Hueco Mundo. All was still and silent, the moonlight grazing the desert softly. Suddenly, a low roar flared up as a hollow surfaced. The large vasto lorde-class hollow shifted up from the desert and squirmed, grasping at its head.

It pulled at its mask, the bone starting to crack sickeningly. It screamed as it pulled its mask from its face, giving the skin under its first feeling of moonlight. The hollow's form then shrank considerably in an instant. It kneeled silently as smoke rose from its body. It looked up at the moon, shifting its weight onto its feet as it stood.

"I am..." it started, its voice sharp and obviously masculine, "an arrancar. It seems I've reached my goal. I've become one of a legendary species..." He started to laugh slightly. "Hollows and soul reapers alike will know and fear Genma Fujima, the legendary arrancar!"

* * *

A group of adjuchas hollows had gathered, encircling another two hollows. These two were also adjuchas, but were obviously much more powerful. They faced each other down, both ready to fight, as the hollows around them roared with excitement.

"Destroy him, Fuego!" a hollow yelled, one of the central adjuchas smirking wide. "Yeah, alright," it – Fuego – answered. "This is for leadership of my clan, Helado! I won't allow you to take control!"

Fuego lunged at his opponent, Helado, and swiped with his claw, but Helado dodged and shot a cero. Fuego took it head-on, the cero erupting into a dust cloud. He then suddenly lunged out from the dust and grabbed Helado's throat, choking him.

Fuego pulled at Helado's throat and raised him, squeezing tighter, cutting off Helado's air. As Helado got closer and closer to passing out, an adjuchas in the circle sighed and walked away, uninterested in what was happening.

This hollow was vaguely humanoid, although quite large, with black wings stabbing out from his back. Two horns grew from either side of his head, his mask composing of the faceplate and coverings for these horns.

"When will these idiots realise that fighting between them won't solve anything?" he spoke to himself, shaking his head. "Eventually someone stronger will come along and destroy them. That's just the way of Hueco Mundo..."

He quickly looked up as he heard a soft laugh coming from his right. There stood Genma, his face holding a smirk. He stepped out from the shadows, towards the hollow, and now his mask fragment was visible. It consisted of a headband, with two bony spikes jutting from the top over his head.

"I like your personality, hollow," Genma explained as he looked the adjuchas in the eye. "What's your name?"

The hollow merely looked at him. "My name?" he asked. "My name is Cifer... Ulquiorra Cifer. What are you, a soul reaper?" Genma laughed again. "No, my friend, I am an arrancar. I am a higher level of hollow. And you, Ulquiorra Cifer, your outlook on this world is very similar to mine. I may consider making you my second-in-command when I take over this clan of yours..."

Ulquiorra continued to stare, unbelieving. Genma smirked. "I guess I'll have to prove it to you then." Genma swiftly used sonido to appear in between Fuego and Helado, shoving them both away from each other.

They both looked at him, then at each other. Fuego spoke first. "You don't look like a hollow, or a soul reaper. What are you?" Genma laughed again, maniacally. He used sonido, appearing behind Helado, and swiftly drew his sword. He sliced once, and Helado was cut into pieces.

Fuego looked on in awe and fear. "Wh... what are you?" he asked. Genma merely stared into his eyes. "I am an arrancar, fool. I am a higher species than you." Genma swiftly used sonido yet again and appeared directly in front of Fuego. "Die, foolish adjuchas!" he smiled, and slashed his sword once, cutting Fuego straight down the middle, both halves falling to the ground.

The other adjuchas were shocked, and too scared to move. Genma looked at them, unimpressed. "I have killed both of your possible leaders," he stated. "Therefore, the only logical choice you all have is following me, am I right?"

The adjuchas looked at each other, than all bowed to Genma at once. Genma smirked darker, enjoying the moment. Ulquiorra looked on, shocked, and then walked up to Genma. "I have something to ask, Master Genma..." he started.

Genma looked at him to continue, so he did. "I would like you to teach me how to gain the power that you have achieved. I would like to know everything." Ulquiorra looked Genma dead in the eye, confident.

"I like you, Cifer," Genma answered. "You remind me of me when I was younger, a few centuries ago. I'll be glad to teach you everything I know, Cifer." Ulquiorra bowed with the others, Genma smirking confidently.

* * *

_Around 50 years ago_

Genma stood with Ulquiorra by his side, now a vasto lorde, looking down upon his army of hollows as they prepared. He looked into the distance, seeing a large stone throne being carried towards them, surrounded by a large army of hollows.

"Ah, so it appears Barragan is coming after all," Genma sighed. "Unfortunate, really, as now he'll lose his precious army and all the power that comes with it." He turned to the two adjuchas closest to him. "Loly, Menoly, stand to attention!"

The two hollows turned quickly to him, bowing. "I want you two to give this order to my front line: do not back down, whatever Barragan throws at them. I also want you two back here with me, you will be my personal bodyguards."

Both Loly and Menoly nodded, rushing down to the front of the army. Ulquiorra turned to Genma, curious. "My Lord, are you not considering the unknown power than Barragan is said to hold?" he asked. "I'm sure you've heard the rumours about it."

"Ulquiorra, my protégé, you will learn soon enough to ignore rumour, and to believe in only your own power, and the things that you can see," Genma replied, confidently. "We will win, of that I am sure."

Suddenly, a large explosion came from the front line, and Genma turned to see the large stone throne ploughing through his army of hollows. Loly and Menoly suddenly appeared next to Genma, looking on in shock.

"We couldn't do a thing, my Lord!" Loly started. Menoly nodded. "Before we knew it, that thing was slaying our forces left and right!" Just as suddenly as it had charged, the throne stopped and fell to the desert, six adjuchas appearing from under it.

"Now you're in trouble, Fujima, as our King will dethrone you from Hueco Mundo!" one yelled out. Another nodded, "¡Exacta!" he exclaimed, smirking. Before any others could reply, a voice boomed from atop the throne.

"Enough! It is time I take care of his forces by myself!" Barragan leaped down from the throne, looked Genma in the eye, and then turned to the remainder of Genma's forces. "Respira..." he muttered, swinging his axe. He turned back to look Genma in the eye, as every hollow in Genma's forces started to wither and die.

Barragan walked back to his throne, enjoying the stunned silence that came from Genma, Ulquiorra, Loly and Menoly. "I think I'll leave you with that, Genma," Barragan taunted. "You may be an arrancar, but I am the God-King of Hueco Mundo. There was no chance of you defeating me or my army."

* * *

_Around 45 years ago_

Aizen walked up to a large cavern in a rare rock on the plains of Hueco Mundo, and entered, Tousen and Gin following behind him. As they walked through the hollow-made cavern, they suddenly dodged as a rock was thrown from further down the corridor.

Aizen merely smiled and continued. As the three entered the final chamber, they looked upon the two arrancar and five adjuchas seated before them. Gin and Aizen continued to smile, whereas Tousen ignored them.

"Who the hell are you?" Genma roared, his voice dripping with bitterness. "Soul reapers aren't welcome in here!" As he yelled, he stood from his throne, coughing up blood as he did. His mask remnants were now visible, and the headband had disappeared, but was replaced by a large skull, covering most of his head. Ulquiorra, now also an arrancar, stood up quickly and tended to him, seating him back down.

Ulquiorra turned to Aizen. "My Lord means, who are you and why are you here?" he explained. "If you are working for Luisenbarn, then we will have no choice but to eliminate you, are you clear?" He nodded to three of the adjuchas to his left. "Plata, Circe, Yuki, please get ready for battle, if it comes to that."

"Oh, it's nothing really," Aizen replied, soft-spoken. "I am Sousuke Aizen. These are my acquaintances Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen. I'm just interested in your clan of hollows, Genma Fujima. Your clan could possibly be the strongest I've seen up to now, and yet you have been defeated time and again by Barragan Luisenbarn, why is that?"

"Is this supposed to enrage me into attacking you?" Genma snapped. "Get out of my sight!" Aizen sighed. "Well, I didn't really think it would be easy, but you seem to be making this more problematic than I expected."

"What I'm here for is to see if you would like to join me, for a worthy cause," Aizen continued. "I'm looking to gather arrancar and hollows from everywhere in order to destroy the seireitei. All I need is ten vasto lorde-level arrancar, and then I'll be set. And you, Fujima, are a powerful vasto lorde indeed."

"I will be making history for everyone. I will be setting the hollows of this world free from fear of the seireitei. I will be making the ones under my command close to immortal. Does this not interest you?"

Genma gave a curt laugh. "No, not in slightest, Aizen," he replied. "Nor will any of my army be either, so I bid you adieu." Aizen didn't take his eyes off of Genma. "Oh? Is that so? How unfortunate..." he answered.

He turned to Ulquiorra, who was still stood. "How about you, Ulquiorra Cifer?" he asked. "I'm sure you would be interested in my cause." Ulquiorra looked down at Aizen, then turned to Genma.

He bowed. "I apologise, Lord Fujima," he started, "but I cannot take this streak of being beaten down by Luisenbarn anymore. I must join with this soul reaper to attain what I must. Seeing as though I am what you used to be, you understand, am I correct?"

Genma didn't answer, but watched as Ulquiorra leaped down to stand by Aizen's side. "Although, I am indebted to you for everything you have done for me, I must take my leave."

Loly and Menoly stood and then stepped forward. "You can't leave us behind, Ulquiorra!" Loly yelled. "We are as sick of losing as you are!" Menoly nodded. "Yeah, I think this old guy has lost his touch or something!"

They both leaped down and stood with Ulquiorra, Genma still not saying a word. Plata was annoyed. "Are you just going to let them go, my Lord?!" he asked, desperately. "You can't just be silent, they are our most powerful members!"

Aizen looked Genma in the eye again. "Oh? So you're not coming then?" he asked. Genma was again silent. "Oh well, that's your own decision. Thank you for the troops though, Fujima, they are highly appreciated."

With that, Aizen, Tousen and Gin, with Ulquiorra, Loly and Menoly in tow, left.

* * *

_Around 25 years ago_

Genma, Plata, Circe and Yuki, now all arrancar, were walking through Hueco Mundo, a sandstorm currently battering and wearing them down. Genma stumbled from time to time, but Yuki continually helped him back up.

They had been walking for miles upon miles, before the storm suddenly subsided, a figure visible through the haze. Eventually, the figure walked up to them, making himself visible.

"Hello, my good man," he started, "I am Usaitar, a soul reaper, and I want your help." Genma ignored him, walking on. Yuki followed, giving a dark look to Usaitar. Plata and Circe, however, stopped.

"What's your offer, Usaitar?" Plata asked. Yuki turned quickly and grabbed Plata by the collar. "What do you think you're doing, Acerogarra?!" he yelled, his eyes burning into Plata's. Circe, grabbed onto Yuki's arm, and he was forced to let go.

Genma turned to them. "Let them go, Yuki!" he commanded. "I'm sure they just don't want to be in the presence of an old man anymore, am I right?" he asked them. Plata nodded.

"Yeah, we believe that you're not as good as you used to be, Genma," he replied. "And truthfully, we can't take it anymore. It seems you've lost your drive, and therefore your edge. I apologise, but we need someone to lead us with a purpose."

Genma nodded knowingly, then turned to leave. Yuki looked desperately at Plata and Circe, then at Genma. He turned away from the traitorous arrancar and followed his master through the desert again, cursing inwardly.

Genma didn't look back. In fact, he didn't care that they had left. 'Of course they left,' he sighed inwardly. 'I am weaker than ever. I may have been one of the first arrancar, but I'm definitely not the strongest in terms of overall power anymore.' He turned to look at Yuki, the one loyal underling he had left.

'And yet Yuki still clings to me, like a soldier would to their wounded general,' he realised. 'He still believes in me, even though I haven't done anything impressive in decades.' He sighed. 'I shall renew myself... I shall find a new court for my royal status... and I shall finally become a legend again, by any means necessary!'

* * *

_And that was Genma's history. I may have taken some liberties with certain canon characters' histories, but I don't think they alter their canon selves that much. Now perhaps, Genma will get a bit more sympathy for what he did, although I'm not expecting anything big..._

_**Next Memory:** Matthew has an illness - he can't die. His never-ending life is severely hindered by the fact that Soul Reapers have killed anyone and everyone he has been close to. He decides to get revenge, and the best way to do that is to form a team..._


	2. The Gathering Of The Lost

**Memory Two – The Gathering Of The Lost**

_Around 20 Years Ago_

Matthew woke up, in a state of shock. He looked down at the rest of his body, or what was left of it, and snarled. He had the top half of his torso, one arm and his legs, which weren't attached to his body. He looked around for the rest of his torso and other arm, but couldn't find them, so had to focus his power into regenerating.

He yelled in pain as new tissue started to rapidly grow where his body should have been, until it finally touched his legs, fusing to them through the blood vessels and nerves that lay scattered on the sand. He then screamed as a bud of an arm started to sprout from the lone shoulder, it growing much slower than his torso did. When it had finally finished, he looked to admire his new body, and was surprised at the arm he now had.

"A reptilian claw?" he asked, bemused. "Whilst it fits with my theme, it looks out of place when it's surrounded by normal flesh..." He stood up slowly, getting used to his new body. "I hate this resurrection thing, especially when I've been ripped to pieces. And Soul Society is to blame, of course. If they had taught me properly, or actually cared to watch out for their squad members, I wouldn't be an arrancar!"

He looked around. It was the same Hueco Mundo as before, before Usaitar's dimension had set up shop in his exact spot. "Damn..." he spoke softly, "this place is always the same... dark and depressing..."

He suddenly smirked. "That's it. I need some more action," he laughed. "And what better way to do that than to invade Soul Society again! That will get them for making me like this!"

* * *

"I did it... I finally became an arrancar..." she said softly. Kotomi lay on the desert, staring up at the sky, blankly. "Now I can take revenge on those bastard adjuchas that killed my clan..."

She jerked her head to the right suddenly as she heard a dark voice answer her. _"Ha! As if you could defeat an adjuchas, girl! You're pathetic!"_ it mocked. Kotomi brought her hands quickly to her head and slammed them against her temples.

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she screamed. "I'm tired of you! Stop mocking me!" She stood up quickly. "Well, if you want to see, I'll do it, just watch! I'll kill every last one of them!"

_"You'd better, otherwise all of your clan will disown you once you pass on,"_ the voice continued, _"you'll be nothing. You'll have no-one, just like now."_

"Shut up, voice!" Kotomi screamed, slamming her hands into her head. "I'll do it, just you wait and see!"

* * *

Five adjuchas were gathered in a circle, toying with a smaller adjuchas, it attempting to dodge their half-hearted attacks. They chuckled darkly as it squirmed, it eventually tiring out and stopping in the centre of the hollow-made circle.

They laughed as they all charged their ceros, aiming them at the small adjuchas. They blasted them forward, vaporising the hollow in seconds. They started to laugh loudly and uncontrollably, until one fell to the ground, dead.

The other four looked at it, it having been decapitated swiftly. They looked where it once stood, to see Kotomi fingering her sword coated with the hollow's blood. She smiled, making her seem slightly unhinged.

"Well, well, well..." she mocked, "you five had me go through some trouble to find you. But I did it! And now I can kill you all for massacring my clan!" She then heard the voice again.

_"Please, that was one adjuchas, and it was an attack from behind,"_ it laughed, _"you need to do something much more impressive to make me quiet down!"_ Kotomi growled.

"Don't you four hear that voice?!" she yelled, "how irritating!" The four adjuchas merely looked at her, confused. Kotomi stared at them, realising. "You don't? Huh..."

She snapped out of it, glaring at them. "Never mind, I'll kill you now!" She used sonido, appearing behind one, slashing her sword up its spine, severing its skull in two. The other three growled and lunged at her, but she again used sonido to escape, making the hollows collide into each other.

They fell into a heap on the sand, and Kotomi laughed. "I didn't think it would be so easy!" she laughed. "You killed my clan? Ha!" She lowered her sword-wielding arm, then opened her mouth.

She readied herself and charged a cero. A ball of violet energy formed at the tip of her tongue, and she fired it, incinerating the hollows on contact. She smirked and praised herself for her work, when she heard a slow clapping behind her.

"Very nice work there," he said, moving towards her, "very nice work, indeed." Kotomi was cautious. "Who are you?" she asked, worried. She had never seen another arrancar, and was nervous as to what he would do.

The arrancar finally stepped out of the shadows. It was Matthew, now with a jawbone over his reptilian shoulder to accent his stronger spiritual pressure. "I like your style," he continued, ignoring her question, "would you like to join up with me?"

Kotomi blinked a few times, surprised. The voice came out again. _"Don't do it, you bitch! You can't possibly be strong enough for anyone! You're a pathetic excuse for an arrancar! Listen to me!"_

Kotomi ignored it, her eyes focused on Matthew. 'He's... awesome...' she stated inwardly, finding herself starting to blush, which she quickly got embarrassed about, causing her to blush more.

Matthew noticed this and spoke to break her from her trance. "Well?" he repeated, the atmosphere now substantially more awkward. Kotomi smiled. "Hell yes! Sign me up now! I'm yours!" she exclaimed.

Matthew inwardly sighed. 'Brilliant...' he thought, 'the first member of my team and she's infatuated with me... are the rest of the team going to be this irritating?'

* * *

_Around 15 Years Ago_

Eiji slowly removed his sword from his arrancar opponent, and smiled as his opponent's blood ran down to his hand. His opponent slumped to the ground, dead, and he turned to his allies.

"So, you two done?" he asked. "Can't we stop now? I'm getting a bit bored..." His two companions, a male and a female, turned to him.

"What are you saying Eiji?" the female asked, surprised. "You're the one who brought up the idea of taking down Yusuke Kumo's clan. Is it because he escaped that you're feeling down?"

Eiji shook his head. "No, it's just the moon in the sky... isn't it picturesque?" he asked. "It has a calming effect over me. I don't think I can kill at a time like this."

The male arrancar growled and grabbed Eiji by the throat. "You can kill any time of the day," he threatened. "You're Eiji Kitadani, remember? You were one of the few hollows that were infused with immense spiritual power when that giant void blew up 5 years back. If you don't feel like killing, then you don't deserve to be alive."

Eiji sighed. "Alright, I get your point..." he answered, calmly. "Let's kill some more then, huh?" The male then smiled and released his grip around Eiji's throat, allowing him to breathe easier.

As he turned to leave, he felt a sword plunge through his back and out of his chest. The female arrancar let out a cry of surprise, and the male looked down to where he was pierced.

"My sword seems to be coming out of your chest, my friend," Eiji mocked, keeping a straight face. "You did say for me to keep killing, so I went for the closest one possible: you."

The arrancar stammered and gagged on his own blood. "Y-you bastard..." he managed to cough. Eiji then smiled a dark smile. "Yes," he replied, "I think I must be, mustn't I, to do such a thing without a moment's hesitation."

He removed his blade from his companion's torso and looked at the moon. "The moonlight is intoxicating... beautiful yet dangerous..." He looked up at the female. "Just like yourself, isn't it?"

The female arrancar started to sweat. She had never seen Eiji like this, nor did she like it. "Well, I suppose I could let you live, but you would have to devote yourself to me..." Eiji mused. "Although, since I'm the one who just killed your boyfriend, that would be disrespectful to the dead, would it not?"

The female just stood still, frozen in shock and fear. "So, logically, I should kill you and reunite him with you..." Eiji continued, trailing off. He then disappeared before stabbing the female through her chest, bringing their faces close to one another.

"It is such a shame though," Eiji spoke, "I could have shown you some incredibly beautiful sights... in Hueco Mundo and the Human World. A shame you have to die..."

He pulled his blade out, forcing blood to rush out of the female's wound, killing her instantly. She slumped to the ground, and Eiji turned to leave. He was stopped as Matthew and Kotomi walked towards him, overlooking the scene.

Matthew spoke first. "That was... unforgiving," he admitted. "The way you brutalised even your closest friends, that is what I'm looking for." Kotomi tilted her head slightly, looking Eiji over.

"I don't know, my Lord," she answered, "he looks a bit insane to me. Did you hear him? He's more interested in sights than killing, yet will kill without even being provoked. That could be dangerous."

Matthew laughed slightly. "And you're not insane?" he replied, making Kotomi blush. "N-no..." was all she could say. "T-the voice is r-real... you j-just haven't heard it yet..."

Eiji looked at them, bemused. "If you're offering to allow me to join your clan, then I accept," he interrupted. "I seem to be lacking one now, and there's always safety in numbers."

Matthew looked at him, suspicious. "Alright then, welcome aboard, Eiji Kitadani," he said, smirking. Kotomi sighed and then smiled, overjoyed. Eiji also smirked. 'I feel that I can trust these two... but why is that? It's not like me to trust...'

* * *

_Around 13 Years Ago_

"So where is Matthew again? The Human World?" Kotomi asked, irritated. Eiji nodded. "That's where he said he was going," he answered, looking up at the moon. "He said he needed more souls, and humans seem to be his addiction."

"Oh, that's alright then!" Kotomi smiled, slamming her palm into her temple as her head-voice told her to 'die already'. Eiji sighed. "Although he did leave us something to do again," he added. "We need to find a new clan member..."

Kotomi sighed. "Really?" she answered, surprised. "I thought the three of us would be a big enough clan for Matthew to lead." Eiji sighed, slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, that voice you hear is in your head, Kotomi, not in the air..." he replied, making Kotomi look, spooked, in the sky. "Oh..." she said, slowly. "Well, luckily I haven't heard it as often as of late. It may be because I have family now."

Eiji sighed yet again. "But the damage has still been done, I fear..." he muttered. "That logical part of your brain is definitely defunct now."

Kotomi shrugged off what he said and stood up. "Yeah, let's find a playmate!" she yelled, punching the air, making Eiji groan slightly in embarrassment.

* * *

Sakura wandered throughout the blank desert and sighed sorrowfully. "Why doesn't anyone stay with me?" she said to herself. "It is because I'm such a loser? Was it because I was thrown out of my own clan?"

She sat down on the desert, her legs throbbing in pain. "I've been walking for what seems like decades..." she moaned. "And yet everyone I meet disappears after I speak to them. I don't know why that happens... do they not like me?"

Through her blurry vision, she spotted two figures ahead of her. She tried to get up, but stumbled slightly. "Others! Maybe they will like me!" she yelled, overjoyed. She ran up to them, but fell back as one swiped at her.

They were two hollows, both of high-adjuchas power, and both sneered at her. She cowered back, afraid. "I'm sorry, I just thought you'd like to be friends!" she yelled, frightened.

"Friends?" one hollow laughed. "No can do, miss. But we will like to kill and eat you. That would be a favour from a friend for a friend, how about that?"

The other nodded. "Yes, it would," he continued. "You see, we are beaten down all the time by vasto lorde hollows, so if you, as a friend, gave your power to us, your friends, you would be able to give us enough power to kill them," he explained.

Sakura looked at them, then reached for her zanpakuto. "Would you like this?" she asked. "This is where my power comes from, so maybe it can do the same for you..." Both hollows looked at each other, then reached out for the zanpakuto.

They were just about to touch it when Kotomi and Eiji rushed in, severing their hands from their arms. Both hollows screamed and fell back, holding the giant wounds that had been made.

Sakura looked in surprise at her saviours. "Who are you two?" she asked, cautious. Kotomi smiled at her, sincerely. "I'm Kotomi Izayoi, and this is my fellow clan-member Eiji Kitadani," she replied. "And we don't like it when arrancar are being bullied."

"Bullied?" the first hollow asked. "You've got it all wrong. She was going to kill us with that zanpakuto of hers! You should stop her before she kills you too!" The second hollow nodded. "Yes, please! She's a monster, you have to believe us!"

Eiji and Kotomi looked at each other, confused. Sakura interrupted their lines of thought. "Shut up! You're lying! I'm not a monster, people just disappear when I'm around! It's a coincidence!"

"Disappear?" Eiji echoed. "Why would they disappear?" Kotomi grinned wide. "I should do that, shouldn't I? Kill them both with my resureccion... that would be fun," she answered to her head voice.

As they were preoccupied with their own thoughts, the hollows readied their ceros to launch at the party of three, until they stopped in fear. "That spiritual energy... what is that?" the first gasped.

Eiji and Kotomi looked back, seeing Sakura surrounded in a pink spiritual energy. "Back off, you filth," she spoke to the hollows, confidence now in her voice. "Or I'll slice your feet off too."

The hollows backed off slightly. "But, how can you have been that scared girl we saw before?" the second asked, struggling under the pressure. Sakura smiled darkly.

"Well, I now remember why everyone disappears when around me," she replied. "It's because those who are weaker are crushed to death by my spiritual pressure. It seems that every time I saw it happen, I erased it from my memory as the sight was so disgusting..." She stalled. "It seems I had some type of split-personality, huh?"

The hollows screamed as she piled the pressure up, which started to crush them down into the sand, breaking them apart. After a minute, they were down to knee level, broken masses of flesh and bone.

Kotomi snapped into focus. "Hey, girl, want to join our clan?" she asked, impressed. Eiji was staring at the moon, unaware of what had happened. Sakura looked at her, before returning to her softer facial expression.

"You didn't die by me being with you..." she answered. "Of course! I need people to speak to, and you two are perfect!" She grabbed both of them around their necks into a hug of some kind, something that Eiji was particularly awkward about, and attempted to push her away.

* * *

_And that is how Matthew's team was rounded up. Well, the majority of it. It seems that before their team fell apart, they at least had some respect for each other. Also, expect the rest of the chapters to be up after similar sized waits, as uni work is dragging me down._

_**Next Memory:** Matthew's team hadn't been completed by this time, and it's last member would be Ryo Sakai. However, he was already a part of the 'Desert Mafia' with Yukari Nosaka and Kiseki Kiryu, so how would Matthew have persuaded him to leave his decades-long clan?_


	3. The Broken Bonds Of The Brethren

**Memory Three – The Broken Bonds Of The Brethren**

_Around 40 Years Ago_

A bestial form wandered the desert of Hueco Mundo, growling mournfully as it travelled. The adjuchas sighed deep and low. "This irritating power of mine..." it growled. "I can't live like this all my life. I _need_ to become an arrancar."

The moonlight slowly dawned on its form, revealing it to be covered in bony armour, with a canine maw and a long, bladed tail. As it continued to wander, its attention was focused on where it had been.

"My power seems to be more of a curse than anything..." it sighed. "My clans always seem to die when I see them for the first time..." The hollow then stopped as it sensed a form in front of it.

"Who's there?" the adjuchas asked, unwilling to look up at it. The form merely stepped closer, unfazed. "I am a friend, Ryo Sakai..." The arrancar – Ryo – looked up slightly in shock. However, his eyes were still locked onto the ground.

"You know my name?" Ryo asked. "How is that?" He stepped back as the form before him stepped forward again. "I have been watching you for a while, young hollow," the form said, finally stepping out of the shadows.

He was vaguely humanoid, but had a bony protrusion shaped like a shark's head jutting from the back of his skull. A dorsal fin-like structure was resting on his back, and the same structure was seen on his forearms and shins. He towered over Ryo, who started to growl slightly.

"What do mean 'you've been watching me'?" Ryo snarled. "Get away from me or I will be forced to kill you!" The adjuchas hollow before him chuckled slightly before stepping forward again.

"I mean, that I know all about that unfortunate ability you possess," he replied. "I know that it has killed every clan you have ever been in, and it has broken you to go through the pain of losing them every time. Am I correct?"

Ryo growled. "And how would you know?" he snapped. "How would you know what I go through? You're nothing like me!" The hollow merely sighed in retaliation. "How sad that you now resort to anger to drive anyone away from you who gets too close," he mused. "Very sad, as if you get over this, you'll have a much better life ahead of you..."

Ryo snarled, turning to walk around the hollow. "Whatever, I don't need you, old-timer," he growled. "I'll be leaving now." The hollow sighed. "As you wish," he answered, turning away. "Although," he continued, "if you come with me, I may be able to teach you how to control your power."

Ryo suddenly perked up slightly in response, turning his head to watch the hollow leave. "Who _are_ you?" Ryo asked again. The hollow stopped. "My name?" he asked. "Oh yes, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Aborre Tsucher, the oldest-living adjuchas level hollow in history, and you'll do well to remember my name, youngster."

With that, Aborre started to walk away again, but then stopped. "Well then, Ryo," he added, "are you coming or what?" Ryo's ears pricked up, and he did as he was ordered, following Aborre as he left.

* * *

_Around 35 Years Ago_

"Run, Ryo!" Aborre yelled. "I'll hold them off whilst you escape!" Ryo stared at his back in disbelief as Aborre shielded him from the soul reapers. "What!? Are you insane old-timer!? I'm not leaving you here!"

Aborre merely slapped him away, forcing Ryo down to the desert. "Why did you...?" Ryo stammered. Aborre sighed. "I've taught you how to control that power of yours now, and that's all I promised," he answered. "There's no reason for you to stay with me, Ryo, and you know that." Aborre laughed. "And anyway, I'm too old now. Leave me to my fate."

Ryo looked at Aborre desperately, but as one soul reaper slashed at Aborre's chest, Ryo snarled in defeat and ran. As he ran, Ryo dared not look back, in fear of what was occurring. 'I won't forget you old man,' Ryo thought. 'I will avenge you, you have my word.'

* * *

_Around 32 Years Ago_

Ryo silently walked across the desert, alone yet again. He snarled as small lizard-like hollows scattered away as he came by, frightened of his very presence. He then stopped as he sensed a strong spiritual pressure nearby, and raised his canine nose into the air, to sniff it out.

Ryo smirked slightly as he located the trespasser, and he turned around slightly to check. There, tailing him silently, was a fox-like adjuchas, its tail split into nine different bony spikes, and the claws on its front legs enlarged. It stopped suddenly as it saw him look back.

Ryo growled, and then turned to run at the stalker, who he knocked down before they could attempt to run. The hollow cried out slightly, and then got up in a battle-like pose. "I'm here to feed on you, mutt, just like any hollow would," they explained, their voice coming across as feminine. "Don't be surprised that someone was following you."

"I'm not," Ryo answered. "I'm just surprised that the one following me was female..." he mocked, and the hollow growled in rage. "What do you mean?!" she answered, bewildered. "Do you not think that I am as powerful as you because of my gender?"

Ryo snarled. "Of course not," he replied, "I just think that because you're inferior in power anyway, I'm surprised that you would have the guts to attempt to kill me." The adjuchas growled in retaliation. "Oh really?" she started, "Well, how about this?!"

She lunged at Ryo with her large claws, scraping his right shoulder slightly as he dodged. 'Damn,' Ryo thought to himself, 'she's surprisingly good. I'd better watch out for those claws.'

The fox-like adjuchas stopped herself from skidding on the sand, then stared Ryo down as he stopped too. "You're kinda cute for a meal, aren't you?" she commented, Ryo being caught off guard by such a point. The fox gave a sly smile and then lunged at Ryo again, as his mind was off-focus.

However, Ryo suddenly snapped into focus and twisted his body around, his bladed tail swinging in and knocking the adjuchas away. She fell to the ground in a heap, and Ryo walked up to her motionless form.

"You're not dead are you?" he asked, cautious. "I wouldn't want this to be over so quickly." The hollow smirked slyly in reply, jumping out of Ryo's sight, pouncing at his back. He saw it coming, however, and rammed his tail into her underbelly, knocking her away again.

"You're an interesting hollow, aren't you?" Ryo asked, humoured. "What is your name?" The fox stood up, and looked at him weirdly. She smiled and ran at him, attempting to maul him with her jaws. Ryo blocked quickly, however, his own jaws keeping hers away.

The fox giggled, and breathed out heavily, a burst of blue mist escaping her breath. Ryo gagged as it ran down his throat, and he broke his hold on her, stepping back and shaking his head in an attempt to clear his throat.

"What... is this?" he stammered, his breath getting heavy. The hollow giggled again, and finally spoke up. "That is a poison mist, which clings to your lungs and freezes them," she started, "it also clings to your blood cells, effectively killing you from the inside out. Oh, and by the way, you can call me Yukari Nosaka, for all the good it'll do you."

"Poison...?!" Ryo managed to choke, before scratching at his own throat in desperation. "Yeah," Yukari laughed, "I can reverse it if you want, but why would I do that? I'm going to enjoy a nice meal today, it seems."

As soon as she had said those words, a large form rose up from the desert, overshadowing them easily. A large bony scorpion had crawled up from the sands underneath, its large stinger aimed at Yukari and its right claw close to snatching Ryo up.

Yukari cursed under her breath. "Damn, I didn't even sense this guy approaching," she muttered, "he's extremely powerful." Ryo snarled. "It's more than that," he added, straining under his heavy breath, "this guy is more powerful than both of us combined, I fear." Yukari looked at Ryo, suspiciously, then turned back to face the new hollow.

"How excellent," the scorpion-like adjuchas exclaimed, "I get two meals for the price of one, a bargain if I ever saw one!" Ryo snarled again, whilst Yukari kept a low growl. "After this meal, the great Kiseki Kiryu may evolve to be a vasto lorde! Just imagine what type of arrancar I'd make then!"

Ryo looked over at Yukari as Kiseki grabbed him with his claw. "Cure this poison..." he managed to splutter, pleading with her desperately. "There's only one way we'll get rid of this hollow," he paused for breath, "and that's by working together."

Yukari looked at him, cautious, but then nodded. She leaped high into the air, then dodged the oncoming stinger attack from Kiseki, before landing on the claw that held Ryo. She brought her maw to Ryo's and then just as quickly inhaled all of the mist out of Ryo's body. Ryo gasped for the precious air he had been deprived of, before powering his way out of Kiseki's clutches.

Yukari landed back on the desert, with Ryo next to her. "So, what do I call you then, since you know my name," Yukari asked, smirking slyly. Ryo smirked in response. "Ryo Sakai, nice to meet you," he answered, humoured. They both dodged another stinger attack from Kiseki, and then leaped up at his facemask at the same time.

"You had the same idea?" Yukari laughed. Ryo nodded. "Go for his mask and he'll be crippled too much to retaliate," he replied, "that's hollow battling 101." In stereo, the two canines dodged a pair of claw strikes from the slower Kiseki, before meeting his facemask and taking a bite out of the bottom corner of each side. Kiseki howled in response, throwing them down to the sand.

"Damn insects!" Kiseki yelled. "Now you've gone and done it, do you know how much that hurt?" Yukari started to laugh at Kiseki's pain, but Ryo sighed, and started to walk off.

"Yeah, well," he started, "I hope I don't see you two ever again. You're too much trouble." Yukari stopped her laughter, and followed Ryo as he left. "Hey, Ryo, wait up!" she yelled, as she ran by his side. "We make a pretty good team, you and I," she continued, "we should form a clan together, what do you say? There's always strength in numbers, right?"

Ryo sighed. "I don't join clans," he answered, "not anymore, anyway." Before he could escape, however, another voice called out from behind them both – Kiseki's. "Why not?" he asked, intrigued. "It's been some time since I've seen hollows with your strength, both of you. I'd be honoured if you accepted me into your clan."

Yukari looked at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" she asked. "You just attacked us." Kiseki nodded. "And I've never been so humbled," he replied, "you two have some power."

Ryo sighed again. "Fine!" he said, irritated. "If you two want to follow me so much, do what you wish! I couldn't care less!" He started to walk away even faster, leaving Yukari and Kiseki staring at him as he left. "I'll take that as a _'Yes, let's team up!'_" Yukari smirked. She turned to Kiseki, who still clawed at his broken mask. "Wouldn't you agree, big guy?" she asked him. Kiseki nodded through the pain. "Yeah, sure," he answered, "sounded like that to me."

* * *

_Around 10 Years Ago_

Kiseki and Yukari, now both full arrancar, stood hidden in between a large group of rocks, waiting for Ryo to return. "I hear this guy has some political power around these parts," Yukari spoke, to break the silence, "so if we oust him, we may get even more powerful."

Kiseki merely stared into space. Yukari sighed. "What is it, Kiseki, huh? You can tell me anything, you know?" she asked, persuasively. "We're like brother and sister, you can tell me anything and I promise I won't tell Ryo, alright?"

Kiseki's eyes quickly focused on her, and she smiled slightly. "Ah, so you look at me? Good!" she giggled. "What's up then?" Kiseki looked away again. "You know what's up Yukari," he said flatly, "stop playing dumb. You suck at it."

Yukari's eyes lost their spark. "You noticed huh?" she replied. "I hoped it wouldn't get you down this much." Kiseki looked at her again. "It isn't getting me down _that_ much, but it is slightly," he corrected her. "You two have gotten more powerful than you've ever been, and that's because you two can still evolve. Me? My mask was broken and eaten back when we met. I can't get any more power than I have already. I've become the weak link in this trio. Sure, I could blame you two, but I have to blame myself for rushing in so foolishly the most."

"That's not how we see you Kiseki!" Yukari answered, irritated that he was thinking that way. "You are as important as Ryo or I, and we both agree with that. You can ask Ryo yourself!"

"You can ask me what?" Ryo asked, as he entered the shelter created by the rocks. Yukari snapped into focus, putting on a bad act. "Right, oh nothing Ryo, just nothing is all!" she smiled sheepishly, Kiseki sighing and holding his head in his hands, embarrassed for her.

"Yeah, sure..." Ryo trailed off. "Anyway, I can't get past those guards of his, even with my speed. Kiseki, looks like your powers will be extremely useful here." Kiseki nodded. "I understand," he replied, "just leave it to me."

With that, he walked to the opening in the rocks and suddenly burst into grains of sand, disappearing. Yukari and Ryo then stayed silent as they waited for Kiseki to return.

Before their ally returned, however, another form stood through the opening, smirking. "Ryo Sakai, you're quite the legend around Hueco Mundo these days," he said, laughing darkly.

"Who are you?" Ryo asked, glaring at him. The arrancar stopped. "Oh yes, my name, I apologise deeply..." he started, "I am Matthew Richardson, and I am the future of the arrancar."

Yukari glared at Matthew after that statement, and Ryo looked at him, amused. "Right, because I believe that," he answered. "No-one can be 'the future', as it isn't written in stone what you are."

"Exactly my point, Ryo," Matthew answered, "I can write my destiny as the future, and you can be at my side, the second-in-command of my new empire!" Yukari growled slightly, and stood between him and Ryo. "He isn't interested, freak," she mocked, "so get lost!"

She suddenly tried to scream, however, as Matthew used sonido to grab her and bring his blade to her throat. "Well, Ryo," he laughed, "how about now?" Ryo snarled, before looking up with blood-red gems for eyes. Matthew looked shocked, and let go of the terrified Yukari as Ryo lunged at, and started to maul, Matthew to pieces.

Yukari placed her hand on Ryo's shoulder, and he calmed down. He stood up off of Matthew's tattered corpse and followed Yukari away from it. Just as they stepped away, however, a dark laugh could be heard emanating from Matthew's dead body.

They both turned, horrified, as they saw Matthew bringing his pieces back together, eventually gaining enough strength to stand again. "Well, that surprised me, I have to admit," he said truthfully. "I see you won't answer me now, which I understand. Just come and find me later if you want to talk, alright?" he asked, smirking darkly, before leaving just as suddenly as he had appeared.

"I see you came," Matthew spoke, as Ryo walked up behind where he sat. "That was a good choice, my friend." Ryo was silent, awaiting Matthew's comments. "I see," Matthew mused, "I'll tell you everything then."

"The Soul Society," he started, "are an arrogant bunch. They eradicate hollows and arrancar and call themselves Justice because of that. They think that because they kill our kind, we are the evil ones. However, never is it explicitly stated that we are evil. If anything, those who kill for no reason except their own sense of Justice are evil. They hunt us down for no other reason but that, and they call themselves the 'protectors'."

Ryo snarled as he remembered his master. "Yes..." he muttered. "They kill so mercilessly, even against a frail, defenceless hollow..." Matthew smirked as Ryo stopped, and then continued with his speech.

"Well, my dream is to destroy the Soul Society once and for all!" he exclaimed. "And to do it, I have a specially picked team of arrancar under my command. All hollows have been wronged in the past, especially me. I was cursed with the revival power you saw beforehand, by none-other-than the damn Soul Society! I have lived and died thousands of lives, and not one was a remotely joyous one. So I'm asking you Ryo, come to my army, be my right-hand man, and follow me to victory!"

Matthew was now in front of Ryo, holding out his hand, as if to accept a handshake. Ryo started to reach for it, but was stopped by a voice. "Ryo... why would you turn your back on us...?" Yukari asked, emotional.

"I apologise Yukari," Ryo answered, "I do deeply apologise. But to avenge my deceased master, I must go with Matthew and attack the Soul Society! I do this out of nothing but loyalty to my Master Aborre!"

He reached out his hand and grabbed Matthew's, shaking it firmly. Matthew smirked. "Wise decision, Ryo, very wise," he smirked. Yukari seemed deeply saddened, and ran back the way she came, starting to cry. Ryo followed her with his eyes, full of apology.

* * *

_Around 9 Years Ago_

"Damn it!" Kiseki growled, surrounded by hollows. "This guy's followers are large in number, huh, Yusuke?" he asked, Yusuke standing at his back, with his back to Kiseki. "Yeah, you can say that again, Lord Kiryu..."

"Yeah, I couldn't really care less for what you have to say, guys!" Yukari yelled out in desperation. "I'm a little tied up myself!" she yelled, more hollows and arrancar surrounding her. Yukari then looked pleased, as a figure walked up to the large group of enemies.

"Ai! Am I glad you came!" Yukari smiled. Ai sighed. "I did as you wished, Lady Nosaka, and nothing else..." she answered. "I shall help you out then... Breathe, Renacimiento..." she muttered, stabbing herself in the chest, with her bony dress jutting out of her body. She removed the blade as her cosmetic changes finished, and then sprayed blood across the entire group of enemies surrounding Yukari.

"Get lost..." she told them, as their eyes and hair dyed blood red. They nodded, and moved away slowly, allowing Yukari to escape their clutches. Kiseki smirked. "So, Ai, when are you going to help us out?" he asked, sweating with anxiety.

"Help you two?" Ai echoed. "Why would I do that? Lady Nosaka is the only one who I really need to help, isn't she?" Yukari giggled. "She is right, Kiseki," she taunted. "It was nice knowing you, but, I'll see you later alright? I'm not going to get caught by their leader, and that means even if I help you out."

Yukari blew an air-kiss, then ran away to the horizon, Ai by her side the whole way. Kiseki cursed under his breath, "I won't forgive you, Yukari, not for this..." The hollows and arrancar then made a path for their leader to walk through. They couldn't get a clear view of him, as the shadows of his hollows almost completely covered him, but they did get a slight flash of the metallic grey of his hair.

"I fear your time has come to an end, my arrancar hermanos," he said, calmly. "But do not worry, for your demise will create a muy pintoresco massacre, and we can all appreciate such a spectacle, bueno?"

He drew his zanpakuto, and raised it to face-level. "Scavenge..." he started. Kiseki interrupted him, however. "Let's burrow, Yusuke! Follow me!" With that, Kiseki sprouted another 3 pairs of arms, which dug into the sand swiftly, Yusuke digging just as quickly. "Now, let's see if my sand control is as powerful as it was!" Kiseki added, raising his arms.

The sand under his feet started to bulge, before the sides of the hole they had dug collapsed on them, raising the surrounding sand into the air, blinding their capturers momentarily, allowing them to escape.

The leader arrancar looked at where their prisoners had been and sighed. "It seems it wasn't to be," he spoke, still calmly. "Whilst unfortunate, that was fate, let's go."

* * *

_And there you have it, the Desert Mafia's rise and fall. I apologise for not having posted sooner, only I have been drowned by university work. First year is irritating, let's leave it at that. Anyway, I'd be interested to know what you all thought of this memory, as I put quite a bit into writing this one. Anyway, there will be a next memory, even though Kenji's arrancar have all been covered. See the preview below for info._

_**Next Memory:** Emperatriz Endriago and Carmesi Vampiro, whilst being the strongest two under Usaitar's control, were beaten fairly quickly after they revealed themselves. However, Emperatriz in particular had a history that no-one could have speculated, which fully explains why she devoted herself to her Lord Usaitar, and why Carmesi followed her orders to the letter without hesitation. Read in the next memory, which is the first, of two, Memory Extra._


	4. Former Love & A Lonely Warrior's Loyalty

**Memory Extra One – A Former Love & A Lonely Warrior's Loyalty**

_Around 620 Years Ago_

A form moved underneath the covers, as the sunlight seeped into the sparsely decorated room. The form removed the covers from their face, revealing a young woman, her flowing black hair a mess, and her crimson eyes still half-closed. She yawned, raising her hand to her mouth, then stared at the clock on the wall.

"7.23?" she mumbled, still obviously tired. "It seems my classes start soon then. I should get ready." With that she threw her covers to the side of the room, stood up and wandered into the bathroom to prepare for her day.

"Hmm..." she began, looking at herself in the mirror. "Should it be hair up," which was accompanied by her hands pushing her hair back, "or hair down?" which was accompanied by releasing her hair, which fell back to its original position. She then smiled. "Hair down it is!" she told herself, grabbing a brush from the shelf.

After a full 20 minutes in the bathroom, she exited, now dressed in her academy robes. She walked up to the corner of her living room and grabbed her zanpakuto, holding it in place by her waist with a sash. "I may not need you yet, but we do have zanjutsu later," she told her zanpakuto, "so I'll need all your strength then, alright?"

She smiled. She couldn't talk with her zanpakuto spirit yet, but she knew that if she just kept being nice to it, it would happen eventually. She opened her front door and stepped out, taking a deep breath of the refreshing autumn air. "Nice day to be a trainee soul reaper, I think," she stated, before walking towards the academy.

* * *

Usaitar sat near the back of the room, ignoring the trainees that were entering the classroom. He held a bored expression, and his eyes seemed to be pained, as if he had lost something or someone close to him. He sighed and looked at the front of the classroom, as the tutor – a captain of the Gotei 13 – sat in front of the students, preparing a scroll and ink.

"Come now class, for I shall teach you the art of writing kanji shortly," he spoke gently, several of the female students sighing in response, whilst staring starry-eyed at him. "Make sure you get settled quickly."

Usaitar sighed sharply and looked off out of a window, watching as a black-haired, red-eyed female ran in through the entrance, sitting down two spaces away from him. 'Late huh?' Usaitar mused, 'It definitely wasn't to make yourself presentable, was it, loser?'

The female looked at him as he glared at her, and then quickly looked away as he noticed her looking at him. Usaitar then looked back to the tutor, still bored. 'Pathetic loser has a crush huh?' he thought, with humour, 'What an idiot...'

The female blushed slightly. 'Did he notice I was staring at him?' she mused. 'Damn it! What if he figured out I like him?! I couldn't live with myself if he knew that before I was ready to tell him!'

"Alright class!" the tutor spoke forcefully, "let's start shall we?" As the class began to quieten down, the captain smiled. "Alright then, to start, let me show you the grace and care that should be put into every stroke of the brush," he explained, dipping his brush in the pot of ink. "I shall start off with a simple kanji – Ka, or Fire – and then you shall repeat this kanji when it comes to your turn."

He lowered his brush to the parchment, and then proceeded to write four definitive strokes before finishing. "And there you have it," he said softly, "I want to see all of you take care in how you do this, or it will not..." he trailed off, interrupted by a loud sigh from Usaitar.

The captain looked up at Usaitar, then smirked knowingly. "The rest of the class, get on with your writing, meanwhile, Usaitar and I will have a little talk," he spoke, the classroom quickly following his orders. The captain stood up and walked over to Usaitar's seat, kneeling so he was at eye level to him.

"So Usaitar, you think being taught in civilised values is under your needs?" the captain asked, wearing a humoured look, but his voice deadly serious. Usaitar looked him dead in the eye, and then smirked. "Yeah, sort of," he replied, arrogantly, "I mean, if I don't teach myself how to hold my own in battle, there'll be no need to learn how to write nicely, as I'll be dead, right?"

The captain sighed. "If that's how you see it, then I probably cannot make you see it any other way," he admitted. "Fine, you may leave if you wish." Usaitar smirked as he stood up, leaving without bowing to the captain.

The black-haired girl looked at Usaitar as he left, and blushed profusely as she thought about him. She then looked away to distract her, and was surprised as she saw two young soul reapers looking into the classroom through a window. They were both tall males, one with medium length blonde hair and a melancholic expression, whereas the other wore sunglasses, and what looked to be the start of an afro.

"You were right, Love," the blonde spoke, as if he was bored, "the young kid did walk out early. Talk about arrogance... Shinji would've _hated_ that kid..." The darker-skinned male – Love – answered. "Yeah, but he stayed for longer than I thought he would, Rose" he mused. "I expected him to punch the tutor in the face and _then_ walk out, but I guess I was wrong."

The female then spoke up. "Um, what are you two doing looking into our lesson?" she asked. Both Love and the blonde – Rose – looked at her, nervous that she noticed them. "I think we've been spotted, Rose," Love whispered. "I'd say so..." Rose replied.

"Um, yeah, you were speaking quite loudly..." the girl answered. "So why are you two not in the classroom anyway?" Love seemed to calm down. "Oh right," he started, "that's because we're in our final year of this academy. In fact, we were just using up our time before our graduation examinations."

Rose sighed. "Oh well, let's go Love," he spoke, "we won't get away with looking in on this class all day." Love nodded, and the two walked away, leaving the girl bemused.

* * *

_Around 580 Years Ago_

"Transferred to Squad 13?" came her response. Her superior nodded. "Yeah, the captain there said he wanted a lot of strong soul reapers, and for some reason he asked personally for a 7th Seat like you. I don't get it to be honest, but if he wants you, that's where you're going."

"Oh," the black-haired girl replied. "Alright, sure..." She then stood up from her meeting and walked out of the room, thinking hard about what had happened.

* * *

"Um, Captain?" she asked, walking into the Squad 13 HQ, the buildings eerily silent. "Captain? Are you in here?" She then stopped. 'Great,' she thought, 'I don't even know the name of my new captain, how great am I?'

Suddenly, the lights sparked on at once, a figure emerging from an archway on the opposite side of the room. The girl stood there, awaiting the figure. As his face came into the light, the girl recognised him instantly, and stood shocked.

"Usaitar Zakihara is the Captain of Squad 13?" she said to herself, non-believing. Usaitar nodded. "Yes, I am," he replied, "and thanks for saying it as if you were shocked at that news. Please, I was captain material back then, and my position now only proves that."

"Oh," the girl replied, "yes, Captain Zakihara!" she added quickly, bowing. Usaitar smirked. "The only reason I personally asked for you is because you're one of the few people I can remember from the academy, and so will be the middle man, or woman in this case, between me and my squad, do you understand?" he explained, now business-like.

"I understand Captain!" the girl replied, still bowing. "And that means," Usaitar continued, "you will be my lieutenant. Understand?" The girl nodded again. "Yes Captain..." she stalled, "Wait, lieutenant?"

Usaitar nodded. "Of course, the lieutenant is always the voice of the captain for the rest of the squad," he replied. "You should know at least that, am I correct?" The girl nodded. "Good," Usaitar added. "Now, your first duty will be to sort the squad members into seats based on power, as I continue reading in the library."

"Um..." his lieutenant answered, "yes, of course, Captain Zakihara!" she said one final time, before bowing and walking out of the room.

* * *

_Around 540 Years Ago_

"We've been called to protect the Soul Society here!" Squad 13's lieutenant yelled. "Come on, get into a presentable defensive line and unsheathe your zanpakuto!" Her captain then walked up behind her and looked over his squad. "It seems like you're doing a reasonable job," Usaitar muttered, "Keep it up."

His lieutenant smiled, blushing slightly. She then snapped into focus. "Look sharp, people, they're coming!" She and her squad-mates all looked ahead at the two oncoming arrancar. The black-haired male was the apparent leader, whilst the black-haired female was his apparent subordinate.

"Hey, look sis," the male arrancar chuckled, "they've got a defensive line up. That'll be fun, huh?" His sister merely looked at him, nonchalantly. "Does it really matter?" she answered. "We'll kill them, we'll take over, we'll rule the Soul Society. That's all there is to it, right?"

Her brother sighed. "You have no sense of humour, you know that?" he asked. His sister sighed in response. "Humour isn't everything..." she replied. Squad 13's lieutenant inhaled confidently. "Attack!" she yelled, her squad-mates following her order.

They charged forward, slashing at the two arrancar, until the male smirked. "I don't think that'll work..." he muttered, raising his hand. He then forced his palm into the ground, sending waves of destructive energy at the hoards of soul reapers, cutting them to pieces. Then he looked up at the captain and lieutenant. "Now for you!"

He rushed forward, readying his zanpakuto, but Usaitar was ready with his. "I don't know, nor care, what you are, but you'll die today," he muttered. "Now, Jigen Shukun!" he yelled, his zanpakuto glowing with energy. "Destroy!" He slashed at the incoming arrancar, cutting him in half, diagonally through his torso.

Usaitar's lieutenant quickly looked to her right, seeing the female arrancar flying in, zanpakuto brandished. "No way! Look out captain!" she yelled, rushing in to defend him. The female arrancar's eyes widened as she saw what had happened: she had missed the captain. Her sword was now plunged deep within the lieutenant's chest, blood almost gushing out of the wound.

Usaitar glared at the female arrancar. "A sneak attack?" he asked. "Utter failure." He then slashed with his zanpakuto, the female arrancar's head spinning in the air before landing a good twenty metres away from her body. Blood then burst out from the wound, as the headless body fell to the ground.

Usaitar's lieutenant fell to her knees. "I apologise Captain Zakihara..." she said through the pain. "I wasn't... good enough to... protect the one I..." With that, she lost consciousness and fell to the floor, surrounded by a pool of her own blood.

Usaitar sighed. "Looks like I'll need more squad members..." he muttered, before turning and walking away.

* * *

_Around 100 Years Ago_

"It's about time you woke up..." a deep male voice called out, as Emperatriz opened her eyes slowly. She picked herself up from where she was resting. 'I had that damn dream again...' she mused. 'That soul reaper... looks like me, but I can't remember her name...'

She then snapped into focus and looked at the man the voice had come from. "Who are you?" she asked, glaring at him. A male arrancar stood before her, leaning on a nearby rock, his black hair being blown about in the breeze.

"So, you ready to fight now?" he said, standing up tall. "I was waiting for you to wake up, so I just started to rest on this rock. You see, I am quite an honourable warrior, even if I'm an arrancar..."

Emperatriz stood up from where she had been sleeping. "I repeat – who are you?" she glared, getting irritated. The male nodded. "I apologise, I didn't introduce myself," he admitted, "I am Carmesi Vampiro, the strongest arrancar in Hueco Mundo. I am here to challenge you to a fight. I want to see if my title holds true, and you are rumoured to be the strongest arrancar, not counting me."

"Oh right..." Emperatriz sighed. "Sure, let's get this over with then." She unsheathed her zanpakuto, then raised it in a battle stance, Carmesi doing the same. Carmesi lunged forward first, Emperatriz effortlessly dodging his slower attack. She then knocked his sword down with her own, knocking him off-balance, before slicing Carmesi's shoulder, spinning on her heel, and facing Carmesi again.

Carmesi held his shoulder in pain, irritated that he was cut so easily. "Your power must be immense, to cut through my hierro like that..." Emperatriz paused. "Hierro?" she asked. "What's a hierro?"

"You seriously don't know what hierro is?" Carmesi answered. "Well, this fight may be quicker than I thought..." With that, he used sonido, appearing behind Emperatriz, slicing at her spine. Emperatriz foresaw this and blocked with her zanpakuto whilst spinning, before delivering a sharp strike to the back of Carmesi's neck. She then span again, giving a spinning back kick to his face, sending him a couple of metres back, landing on his abdomen.

"Damn..." he coughed, blood forcing itself out of his mouth. He stood up slowly, before inhaling. He exhaled, then rushed at Emperatriz, feinting left before slashing at her left shoulder. Emperatriz's eyes opened wide as blood started to seep from the cut she had received.

Carmesi stepped back, proud of the attack. "About time I cut you," he muttered. "Your hierro was strong, but I did it. All I needed was to get you to let your guard down for a mere second."

Emperatriz looked up, staring into Carmesi's eyes. Her crimson irises glowed with bloodlust, unnerving Carmesi to the core. "This will end it..." Emperatriz seethed. With that, she used sonido, Carmesi with no clue on where she would appear.

Carmesi's eyes widened as she appeared to his side, delivering a crescent kick to the back of his neck. She then grabbed him around the waist, throwing him into the air, before kicking off on the ground to follow him. She then delivered a kick to Carmesi's stomach in midair, sending him further airborne. She then flew up and delivered a snap kick to Carmesi's face, flipping him to an upright position, her next kick hitting him in the sternum, forcing him back slightly. She then finished him with a downward heel kick to the face, with the force to send Carmesi down to the desert again, his back almost breaking on contact with a large rock.

Carmesi coughed up blood in every breath, and watched, breathless, as Emperatriz started to descend. She landed in front of Carmesi's tattered form, brandishing her zanpakuto, her eyes still gems of crimson.

"Poderoso Accla..." she spoke softly, winds gathering at high speeds around her blade. She swiped it across Carmesi's chest, the shock wave emerging through the rock and picking up a wave of sand behind him. Suddenly, the rock Carmesi was leaning on shattered into two, Carmesi's form falling to the ground.

With that, Emperatriz turned on her heel and started to leave. "Wait!" she heard Carmesi scream, gaining her attention. "I... I want you to accept me as... your student!" Carmesi pleaded, now kneeling on the desert, through either exhaustion or desperation.

"What?" Emperatriz asked, startled. Carmesi raised his head. "I... have trekked across Hueco Mundo, fighting those I come across..." he started. "You, by far, are the most powerful being I have met... I didn't have a chance..."

"And you want me to accept you as a student of mine?" Emperatriz added, looking at Carmesi, humoured. Carmesi nodded, coughing up blood again. "I... understand if... you don't want to..." he started.

Emperatriz turned on her heel again, and started to leave. "You can come if you want..." she said. "But only if you do two things..." Carmesi stared at her, awaiting instruction.

"One: you will only talk to me if absolutely necessary," she began, "and Two: you will not ever get in my way." With her final words, she turned to stare at Carmesi with her crimson eyes, drilling deep into Carmesi's mind. He bowed straight away. "Yes, Lady Endriago..." he stammered.

* * *

_Around 60 Years Ago_

"Put some more effort into that sword swing!" Emperatriz yelled, Carmesi nodding in reply. He then lunged with his sword, Emperatriz blocking easily. "That had more force in it: good!" she answered. "Now put that force into a backhanded sword slash, attack me!"

Carmesi did as he was told, holding Emperatriz in a deadlock. "Nice, you have more power in your weaker arm now..." Emperatriz smirked. "Any time soon, that weaker arm may be more powerful than my weaker arm. I'd better make sure you don't surpass me in that field, right?"

Carmesi smirked back. "Of course, Lady Endriago," he laughed. "You wouldn't want your student surpassing you. That would mean the end of your career..." They broke the deadlock and clashed swords again, deadlocking for a second time.

Their energy was halted by a voice emanating from behind Emperatriz, however. "My, my," it spoke, almost mocking, "aren't we hard at work today?" Through the sudden haze of sand, Usaitar stepped forward, smirking darkly. "It looks like you've come so far, my lieutenant..."

Emperatriz, upon hearing his voice, fell to her knees. Carmesi was in shock. "Lady Endriago, what's wrong? Who is he?" he asked, panicked. Usaitar laughed darkly. "No need to fret, my young arrancar friend," he stated. "She's just amazed that someone from her past is here before her, in the flesh. Am I correct?"

Emperatriz turned her head to look at his form. Her crimson eyes studied him, and tears almost flowed from them. "You..." she started. "I know you. It pains me to know you..." She stopped. "But I don't remember why I know you..."

Carmesi stepped forward. "I will protect you, Lady Endriago!" he exclaimed, raising his sword. Usaitar merely laughed at his effort, and ignored him, stepping closer and closer to Emperatriz.

"I am here to ask for your assistance, my dear lieutenant..." he said, humoured. "I want your assistance to help me come to full power. With you at my side, I will take what Soul Society stole from me, and for the memories they apparently stole from you..."

With that comment, Emperatriz snapped into focus. "Memories they stole?" she asked, standing up. Her eyes were level with Usaitar's, neither of their eyes giving in. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, not much," Usaitar responded. "Although I never did learn how to write nicely, you know?" That comment sparked Emperatriz's dream, and she kneeled down slowly to the sand in front of Usaitar.

"Whatever you want me to do, my lord," she blushed, "I will do as you command. Anything at all..." Usaitar smirked darker than before, then looked over to Carmesi, who was questioning whether to attack or not. He then sighed and placed his sword back in its sheath. He then kneeled also.

"Anyone my Lady Endriago trusts, I trust also," he spoke, his qualms not showing through. Usaitar started to laugh. "Excellent," he said, darkly. "Really, quite excellent..."

* * *

_And that concludes the longest time-span of a memory so far. 10 points to anyone who can tell me the name of one of the arrancar who attacked 540 years ago. I'm quite proud of this memory actually, as they're not my OCs to begin with. Still. On with the side-fic._

_**Next Memory:** Zeo is now a reformed arrancar, and even has a seat in Squad 3. However, there was a time when he didn't have the discipline and manners he has now. Back in the day, he was making quite the stir in Hueco Mundo, but for mainly the wrong reasons. Take a look how the ultimate underdog rose to his position under Usaitar, in Memory Extra Two._


	5. Determination Of The Disowned

**Memory Extra Two – Determination Of The Disowned**

_Around 40 Years Ago_

Zeo fell back onto the sand, the older arrancar having pushed him down, mocking him. "Come on, kid," he taunted, "you're a weakling. You always have been, and you always will be, by the looks of it. Just give up and move along. We don't want you anymore."

He then kicked sand into Zeo's face. "Go on, beat it!" the arrancar yelled. Zeo snarled. "No way!" he snapped back, the older arrancar looking on with humour. "I could easily beat you down, 'brother'! Why don't you try me? I'll show you how weak I am!"

The arrancar chuckled. "Sure, I have a second to spare..." he taunted, then turned back to the 5 other arrancar behind him – 2 females and 3 other males. "Brothers, sisters, please allow me to deal with our former sibling in peace," he stated. "I shall catch up with you all soon enough."

The oldest male arrancar nodded, and the 5 soon disappeared, using sonido. Zeo glared at his former brother. "Alright then," he started, starting to charge at him. Zeo punched straight forward, aiming for his brother's stomach, but the arrancar swiftly disappeared. He quickly appeared an inch to the left of where Zeo had punched, making Zeo angry.

"Come on! Stand still!" Zeo yelled, swinging wildly as his opponent dodged effortlessly. The arrancar smirked. "This is the problem with you, Zeo," he started, "until you learn the true powers of an arrancar, you'll be nothing but a useless waste of space."

He then used sonido again, turning as he did, appearing to Zeo's right and delivering a powerful punch to Zeo's abdomen, knocking him down. "There, for instance," the arrancar explained, "you couldn't read my sonido, and your hierro is so weak that even my punch got through. You're pathetic."

Zeo struggled to stand. He coughed up blood, and then gasped for air. He glared at the older arrancar, whose smug look angered Zeo even more. "I'll kill you!" Zeo screamed, before mustering all of his energy and lunging at the arrancar, his fist making contact with the arrancar's face.

The arrancar fell back onto the sand, rubbing his cheek cautiously. "A single punch?" he muttered. "How irritating..." He then stood up, glaring at Zeo. "I was going to take this lightly, but now you've gone and pissed me off, kid..." he started, reaching for his zanpakuto. "I'll show you an arrancar's true power!"

However, at that moment, a zanpakuto skewered through his throat, bringing a flood of blood with it. The arrancar dropped his own zanpakuto and fell to the sand, dead. Zeo looked at the figure stood where his brother had just been, and swallowed nervously. "Soul reaper..." he spoke, frozen to the spot. 'He killed him so easily...' he thought, impressed. 'Why can't I have that power?'

The soul reaper standing before him looked in thought. "Another arrancar?" he asked out aloud, looking at Zeo. "There've been literally hundreds of you ever since Aizen was defeated... Oh well, time to clean up..." He then raised his zanpakuto and aimed to slice Zeo's head off, but stopped as a large hand ripped through his chest.

Zeo looked on and then smiled slightly. "Nero..." he sighed in relief. The oldest male arrancar from the clan – Nero – had come back, and had now picked the soul reaper up, his hand still puncturing the soul reaper's chest.

"Zeo... you continued to fight?" Nero asked, looking at the deceased form of his brother. "Unfortunate that he died. Still..." Nero then turned his attention to the soul reaper, quickly drew his sword and sliced his head cleanly off of his neck. He then dropped the soul reaper to the ground as blood overflowed from the open wound.

He then turned to Zeo. "You're lucky, Zeo," Nero said. "I am much less impulsive than our deceased sibling, and I will allow you to leave now, with no hassle." Zeo looked at him, and his smile faded quickly.

"What?" he asked, enraged. "No way! I want to stay with you all! You can't just leave me like this!"

Nero suddenly yelled, making Zeo stand back in fear. "No! Listen to me!" Nero snapped. "You will leave! You will do so now, or I will have to kill you myself! Am I clear?"

Zeo cursed inwardly, then turned to leave. "I'll honour your wish, at least, Nero," Zeo muttered. "But I will show you that I am stronger than any of you ever thought! Just you watch! I'll be on par with the soul reapers! Like them, I'll have an 'anti-arrancar' level of power!" Nero, however, ignored him, and used sonido to leave swiftly.

* * *

_Around 28 Years Ago_

Ryo, Yukari and Kiseki slowly walked along the desert, now arrancar, but all silent. Their silence didn't last for long however, as Yukari broke it with a deep sigh. "Are we there yet, Ryo?" she moaned, staggering forward slightly. "My feet are killing me..."

Kiseki sighed in reply. "You won't become a feared arrancar if you're always this irritating, Yukari," he said flatly, "remember that before you open your mouth again." Ryo merely ignored both of them, and continued to walk.

Yukari became flustered as she started to think of a response, whilst Kiseki also continued to walk on, happy with his taunt. Yukari then let out an angry yell and chased after them both. Kiseki cleared his throat. "Ryo, why are we going over to see this Usaitar guy anyway?" he asked, curious. "He hasn't been in contact with us, so why do we need to visit?"

Ryo merely ignored his question. Yukari caught up with them, and expressed intrigue too. "Yeah, Ryo, who is this guy?" she added. "I mean, we're strong and all, but he sounds stronger, somehow..." Ryo turned to them.

"You want to know why we're going to see him?" he asked, showing slight irritation. "Because he wants to invade Seireitei, that's why. I want to see if he needs our assistance. Or mine, at least. I have a promise I need to fulfil that only going to the Seireitei will allow."

"..." came the response from Yukari and Kiseki, whilst Ryo turned and walked on. "I'm backing you 100%, Ryo," Kiseki quickly said, breaking the silence. "You need me, I'll be here."

Yukari nodded. "That's right, I'm here too," she added. "You want help, you've got it," she said, blushing slightly.

Then she thought about something. "What if he refuses...?" she asked, making Kiseki bring his hand to his eyes, embarrassed for her. "You don't shut up, do you?" Kiseki snapped, "you don't get people's hopes down. That's just idiotic."

"Actually," Ryo started, "she's right. If he refuses our assistance, then to Hell with him, who needs the guy? We'll do things our own way." Just as Yukari and Kiseki were about to agree, a figure walked to them from the horizon.

"Hmm?" Ryo muttered, sensing him. "Another arrancar?" The arrancar finally walked up to them and stopped. He was dressed in a grey tattered rag, which he wore like a cloak, over what looked like a second-hand uniform similar to those Aizen's arrancar wore.

"You sure Usaitar will take you?" the newcomer asked. "I mean, he only takes those he deems worthy..." Kiseki glared at him. "And you are?" he asked. The newcomer slowly removed his hood, showing his face. "Zeo Oseomartir, it's a pleasure, I'm sure," Zeo answered, arrogantly, making Kiseki angered.

"You watch what you say, kid!" Kiseki snarled, grabbing hold of Zeo's collar. Zeo merely looked at him. "I can see if you deserve to meet with him, if you want," he answered, ignoring Kiseki's threats. "If you fight me and win, I'm sure he'll let you see him."

Kiseki looked at Yukari, who smiled in realisation. Kiseki turned back with a smirk on his face. "All three of us?" he mused. "We accept, kid. You're doomed. It's fate." Zeo merely frowned, then took a stance against them.

Ryo sighed inwardly. "Is this going to take long?" he asked Kiseki and Yukari. "Because I can easily go and see Usaitar myself whilst you two waste your time here." Kiseki shook his head, yet still had his eyes locked on Zeo. "Nah, it'll only take a couple of seconds - minutes at the most."

Zeo's eye twitched slightly as Kiseki insulted him, but he stood calmly as both Kiseki and Yukari surrounded him. Zeo's eyes shifted from Yukari to Kiseki, waiting for one of them to lunge first.

Yukari shifted her weight to her right foot, moving slightly, and Zeo focused on her for a second. Kiseki saw this as an opportune time to act, and so used sonido to rush at Zeo, aiming a punch at his chest.

Zeo quickly sensed this and dodged, then answered Kiseki's attack with a sharp elbow to the ribs, knocking Kiseki back a few feet, winding him. Kiseki's face quickly twisted into a dark scowl. "Lucky shot, bastard..."

Yukari frowned, and then used her own sonido to rush a punch at Zeo's face. Zeo merely looked on, and waited until she came close enough. Yukari put her full force into her punch, but Zeo raised his hand and caught her arm with little effort. He then thrust his palm towards her abdomen, striking her hard, and knocking her to the ground with force.

Ryo's eyes quickly moved to Zeo, locking onto him with apparent malice. "They weren't lucky shots..." he mused. "You actually saw through their hierros and looked for a weak point in it. Smart. It also looked like you could foresee where sonido would take them. It makes me wonder what other tricks you have up your sleeve..."

"You want the truth?" Zeo asked. "I have an 'anti-arrancar' level of power. That is to say, all of the basic arrancar techniques, I can counter. Sonido, Hierro... and Pesquisa..." Zeo then disappeared, catching Ryo off-guard. Ryo struggled to home in on Zeo's location, until he felt a blade spear through the back of his right arm.

Ryo looked back at the now-visible Zeo and snarled. "You were able to avoid detection... even by my advanced Pesquisa... interesting..." He then frowned, grabbing hold of Zeo's sword-holding hand. "But now I have to go, so I don't need your blade in my arm anymore." With that, he put pressure on Zeo's wrist, enough that Zeo pulled his sword out of Ryo's arm and backed off.

"You may be 'anti-arrancar' in power, but I assume that since you trained your body up, your Resureccion is pitiful in comparison," Ryo continued. "That is why there's no point in contesting this anymore."

Zeo was angered. "You're wrong!" he yelled. He then raised his sword. "Writhe, Tenencia!" he yelled, his sword erupting in a mass of liquid bone. It then twisted and wrapped itself around his arms, hands and down his back, forming skeletal claws over his hands and arms, and a long skeletal tail emanating from his lower back. His faceplate over his eye lengthened out even more, becoming jagged at the edges. Needle-like protrusions became visible from his fingertips and his tail-tip, as he took a stance.

"Oh, so you want to continue anyway?" Ryo mused. "Yukari, Kiseki, get up." Yukari and Kiseki, who were previously holding their bodies in pain, stood up confidently. Yukari smirked. "You idiot," she spat at Zeo, "if you release your resureccion, Ryo will come at you with everything he has!"

Ryo stared at Zeo darkly. "She's right, you know," he added, menacingly. "So, will you attack?" Zeo didn't need any more persuasion, and rushed forward, his needled claw poised to strike. Suddenly, a large cleaver struck down in Zeo's path, barely missing him as he jumped back. Then, another attack came in from his right, which was Yukari brandishing her zanpakuto. She slashed down, forcing Zeo to duck to his left, into the path of Ryo's sword strike.

Ryo lunged forward, stabbing and skewering Zeo's shoulder. Zeo howled in pain, and staggered back. Ryo merely turned and started to walk away, re-sheathing his sword. "I've seen all I needed to see," he muttered. "You were strong, apart from your obvious lack of control of your resureccion. Be that as it may, you were interesting whilst it lasted."

He then turned to Kiseki and Yukari, who were staring daggers at the injured Zeo. "Come on, we have a meeting with Usaitar," he ordered, and both of them followed in his wake.

Zeo staggered again as he tried to find a strong footing. "Hey! Just you wait, you weaklings!" he yelled at them as they left. "I will show all of you just how strong I am when Usaitar accepts _me_ as part of his army, and not you! You hear me?!" However, the Desert Mafia continued to walk away, ignoring him.

* * *

_Around 22 Years Ago_

Plata and Circe walked across the desert, wanting to get to Usaitar's hideout and report back to him. They had just beaten down a rebel force that wanted to assassinate Usaitar before things got out of hand, but they were quickly disposed of by the two arrancar.

"I think Lord Usaitar will be pleased with our success in this mission, don't you?" Circe asked her beau. Plata smirked. "Definitely," he replied, "although those idiots really weren't a problem. I mean, we didn't even need to release our zanpakuto. Usaitar may just think it was too easy for us..."

They were then interrupted as a figure dressed in a tattered cloth walked up to them. It was Zeo, and he now looked more battle-weary and scarred than he did 6 years beforehand. "You two are Usaitar's goons, am I right?" he asked, with a sharp edge to his tone.

Plata scowled at his insult, reached over and picked him up by the collar. "Listen you," he threatened. "I'm not above killing kids. I've done it before, and I can do it again." Circe smirked and cheered him on. "Yeah, you tell him sweetie! You're the best!"

Zeo merely grabbed Plata's hands and put pressure on them, forcing Plata to drop him. "Alright," Zeo replied, "how about this? I fight you, and if I win, you go back to Usaitar and recommend he take me in. Got it?"

Plata smirked darkly. "You've got yourself a very strange deal kid," he replied. "So you think you can take me on, huh? What makes you think you're so damn good?" Zeo looked into Plata's eyes with fire and determination.

"Because..." he began, "I have an 'anti-arrancar' level of power... and I finally learned what my resureccion does..." With that, he drew his zanpakuto and held it high. "Writhe, Tenencia!" he yelled, the sword erupting in the same mass of liquid bone, which formed the claws and tail, and lengthened his eye-plate more.

"Now, I will kill you!" he said, stoically, using sonido to disappear. Plata's eyes widened. 'My pesquisa can't lock onto him!' he thought, panicked. 'What the hell's up with that?'

Suddenly, he heard a calm voice to his right. "Can't sense me?" Zeo said, with a slight smile. "That may be because I can alter my reiatsu flow to avoid pesquisa. It's alright that you didn't know."

He then raised his hand to Plata's neck, and a needle shot out from it. Whilst it cut through the air, when it got to Plata's skin, it bounced off. Plata smirked. "And _that_ would be my hierro," he laughed. "I think you purposefully aimed at the weak point in it. Unfortunately for you, I moved that weak point before you hit."

Zeo scowled, then jumped back to gain distance. He took a stance, then used sonido, disappearing swiftly. Plata growled, and awaited Zeo's return to his sight. As Zeo appeared to his left, Plata was ready, and smirked, turning to him. "Cero!" he yelled, punching his fist at Zeo's face. A red light suddenly erupted from Plata's hand, drowning Zeo in its radiance, followed by a deafening explosion.

After the dust cleared, Plata laughed maniacally. Circe ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. Both then turned to leave, neither looking back at where Zeo's fallen form should have been.

"Don't you go yet... you losers," Zeo panted, struggling to stand up. Plata turned and laughed at what he saw. "I see," he mused, "you used your own cero to negate most of the explosion from my cero. Clever." He then smirked darkly. "However, you still got hurt in the process, and now you're not worth it."

With that, he and Circe left. Zeo stood, visibly shocked, not believing what just happened. 'I was ignored _again?!_' his thoughts screamed. 'I become an anti-arrancar, and yet I _still_ can't even beat one... what's the point in my existence if I can't even do that?'

* * *

"Fine, you're dismissed," Usaitar muttered, ordering Plata and Circe to leave. They nodded and turned to leave, but Plata stopped short.

"Actually, my Lord, I have a favour to ask," he added. Usaitar looked at him, an expression of surprise on his face. "Oh? A favour from me?" he asked, curious. "And what would this favour be?"

Plata sensed Usaitar's sarcasm, and bowed slightly as he explained. "There's an arrancar in Hueco Mundo," he said, "an outsider, who's developed an anti-arrancar style of battling. Not only that, but he's an impressive fighter, and feisty too, for a kid."

Usaitar smirked. "So you want me to take him in as my last Wu Jian, huh?" he asked, to which Plata nodded. "Alright," Usaitar answered, after much thought, "I'll see what I can do." Circe and Plata looked shocked with his answer, but accepted it and left his room.

* * *

Zeo sat alone on the desert, both feeling depressed and seething with anger. Though lost in his thoughts, his focus suddenly diverted to an oncoming figure, masked by the billowing sand. As the stranger walked up to Zeo's side, Zeo felt chilled to the bone by this figure's spiritual pressure.

"So," Usaitar smirked, "I hear you've wanted to speak to me." Zeo looked up at the figure – Usaitar – and was speechless. Suddenly, another two figures walked up behind Usaitar, those of Emperatriz and Carmesi, both flanking their Lord.

"These two are here just in case you get any ideas, if you know what I mean," Usaitar continued. Emperatriz blushed slightly at Usaitar's commanding voice, but Carmesi glared at Zeo, suspicion in his eyes.

"You can join us, if you want," he added. "The fifth of the Wu Jian: Zeo Oseomartir. How does that sound?" Zeo scowled. "You think of yourself so highly that you insult me so snidely?" he spat, rising to his feet. He snapped, and lunged at Usaitar, but was blocked swiftly by Emperatriz's and Carmesi's zanpakutos.

Zeo's eyes widened in shock and Emperatriz nodded to Carmesi. "Do it Carmesi," she ordered, and Carmesi nodded in reply. He used sonido, appearing instantly behind Zeo, whilst four swift slices cut through Zeo's torso.

Blood ruptured from the wounds, and he fell to the ground, almost unconscious. Usaitar chuckled evilly, and crouched down to look Zeo in the eye. "I'll take your attack on me as a 'yes' then, huh?" he asked, snidely. He then stood up, ordering his two arrancar to drag Zeo along with them. "Plata was right," he added, "you _are_ feisty!"

* * *

_Sorry for the wait, but university work really does get in the way of everything else. And, as promised, a Zeo-centric memory, for all those Zeo fans. If there are any. In any case, I believe this explains well why Zeo did everything he did back in the previous fics, especially when he changed sides._

_**Note:** As you may well have figured out, this is my final memory. But don't fret that this is the end of the series. Granted, it'll take a while before posting occurs, but ratiasu will be continuing the series with one last fic, as part of the main storyline, hence making this series a trilogy. Terri will be back as the main character, fun for the Terri fans, and it will probably be posted up a little later this year, so look out for it._


End file.
